Minnesota Wild relieve assistant coach Darby Hendrickson of his coaching duties

Minnesota Wild President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin announced that the club has relieved Darby Hendrickson of his coaching duties after 14 seasons.

The move comes after the Wild hired Jon Hynes as the new head coach indicating that Hynes will bring in a new assistant to his staff for the 2024-25 regular season.

“I would like to thank Darby for all his hard work and commitment to the Minnesota Wild during his long tenure with our organization,” said Guerin. “He has done a tremendous amount of good things for our team and the State of Hockey as a player and a coach. I wish Darby and his family all the best in the future.”

Hendrickson played for the Wild for four years before he retired from the NHL in 2004, he totalled 129 points in 518 career games. He joined the Wild’s coaching staff in 2010 and has been the team’s assistant coach for the last 14 seasons. The 51-year-old will now be considered for the numerous assistant coaching vacancies that remain around the NHL.

The Athletic’s Joe Smith and Michael Russo also reported in their findings that the vacant position for the Wild could be filled via an internal promotion. Longtime NHLer Derek Stepan spent time around the organization and has been listed as a potential candidate. Stepan retired from the NHL last summer after a 13-year, 890-game career with the Arizona Coyotes, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators.